Machine for manufacturing filter mouthpiece cigarettes



K. KRBER Sept. 15, 1959 MACHINE FOR MANUFACTURING FILTER MOUTHPIECE CIGARETTES Original Filed June 22, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet l K. KRBER Sept. 15, 1959 MACHINE FoR MANUFACTURING FILTER MOUTHPIECE CIGARETTES Original Filed June 22, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 4 .af H

United States Patent @hice 2,994,049 Patented Sept. 15, 1959 MACHINE FOR MANUFACTURING FILTER MOUTHPIECE CIGARETTES Kurt Krber, Hamburg-Bergedorf, Germany, assignor to Kurt Krber & Co. K G., Hamburg-Bergedorf, Germany Original application June 22, 1954, Serial No. 438,533, now Patent No. 2,821,199, dated January 28, 1958. Divided and this application August 15, 1956, Serial No. 604,250

Claims. (Cl. 131-94) This invention relates to the manufacture of cigarettes or the like provided with filter mouthpieces, and is a division of a application Serial No. 438,533, tiled June 22, 1954, now United States Patent 2,821,199.

It has been proposed heretofore to produce filter cigarettes by arranging two wrapped tobacco rods in axial alignment and with a filter mouthpiece between the adjacent end of the rods on revolving drums and then bringing this assemblage in contact with an adhesive coated connecting band which afterwards is wrapped around the abutting joints of the mouthpieces and cigarettes.

It is an object of the present invention to rst adhesively affix the connecting band to the axially spaced end portions of two tobacco rods or cigarettes and then inserting into the space between the two adjacent ends of the two cigarettes a filter mouthpiece portion having twice the length of 'the mouthpiece of the completed cigarettes.

The present invention will now be described more particularly with reference to the accompanying drawings, illustrating by way of example two embodiments of a machine operating according to the method of the invention, and in which:

Fig. l shows diagrammatically a side view of the machine partly in section.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of said machine, in which for the sake of clarity the magazines for cigarettes and for mouthpieces have been omitted.

Fig. 3 illustrates another embodiment of the invention showing a supply duct for mouthpiece portions having twice the length of a mouthpiece, and

Fig. 4 is a cross section through said duct along the line A-B.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, there are provided two magazines 1a and 1b for cigarettes Z. The magazines are spaced apart from each other a distance 1 which corresponds to the approximate length of a mouthpiece portion which is twice as long as its final length of the mouthpiece will be in the completed cigarettes. Below the two magazines 1a and 1b, a suction drum 2 providing a transfer means is arranged which rotates clockwise in a direction of the arrow 2 and is provided in its center portion with a collar 2a the width of which corresponds to the length of the mouthpiece portion. On both sides of the collar 2a, the drum or transfer means 2 is provided on its circumference with approximately semicircular grooves extending in axial direction of the drum.` These grooves are connected with suction ducts 2c which communicate with a suction passage 4 by means of a stationary suction duct 3 as long as ducts 2c are in registration with the duct 3.

The cigarettes Z are supplied from the two magazines and deposited` into the grooves arranged in the drum at both sidesy of the collar 2a. vThe cigarettes pass between two stationary guide rails 5a, 5bl which move the two axially aligned cigarettes opposite to each other in a lengthwise direction against the collar 2a. The strips 5c and 5d provided in the zone of this movement prevent in this arrangement a dropping of the cigarettes from the drum 2.

After the cigarettes resting in lche groove have passed out of the zone provided with guide plates, the respective suction ducts 2 are connected to the stationary suction duct 3 so that the cigarettes Z are retained in the grooves by suction force. At the place Z1 the cigarettes are then deposited into a groove of a drum 6 which rotates counterclockwise in direction of "the arrow 6 and providing a rotary transport means. The suction duct 3 thus terminates just short of the place Z1 so that the cigarettes are no longer retained on the drum or transfer means 2 but are now held securely in the grooves of the drum or transport means 6 by means of suction created in the suction ducts 6a provided in said drum. The suction ducts 6a are connected with a suction pipe 8 through the stationary suction duct 7 as `long as they are in the zone of said duct 7. The pairs of cigarettes are now conveyed to the place Z2 by means of the drum 6.

At this place Z2 adhesive coated connecting bands 9a are adhesively afxed to the end portions of the cigarettes facing each other. For this purpose a paper tape 9 is unwound from a spool 9b in the direction of the arrow 9 by the lower pair of rollers 9f which feed the tape unwardly and this tape is severed into separate pieces at 9c. These connecting bands 9a are supplied by the upper pair of rollers 9g to a suction drum 10 on which they are retained by means of suction created in the suction `ducts 10a which through the stationary suction duct 11 are in communication with the suction pipe 12. The duct 11 terminates at the piace Z2 so that the bands 9a in the meantime coated with an adhesive by the intermediary of an adhesive applying cylinder 9d are caused to adhere to the end portions of the cigarettes.

The pairs of cigarettes together with the connecting bands adhering to their end portions are conveyed during the continuous rotary movement of the drum 6 to the place Z3 at which point the suction duct 7 is cut olf from the radial ducts 6a, so that the connecting band together with the cigarettes adhering thereon are able to be transfered to the drum or second rotary transport means 13 lwhich rotates in a clockwise direction, as indicated by the arrow 13. The retention on the drum 13 is effected by means of suction ducts 13a, as said ducts 13a are in communication with a suction pipe 15 through a stationary duct 14..

The drum of second rotary transport means 13 is provided in its center portion in the zone of the connecting band with a smooth peripheral surface, and at both sides of this zone are provided collars 13b and 13e which have cigarette receiving grooves (also see Fig. 2) into which the cigarettes are deposited.

The drum or second rotary transport means 13 revolving, as stated previously, in the direction of the arrow 13 conveys the cigarettes together with the connecting band from the place Z3 to the place M1 at which the mouthpiece portions are inserted into the space between the adjacent ends of the two cigarettes.

For this purpose there is arranged above this place M1 a mouthpiece magaziney 16 which discharges the mouthpiece portions M and deposits them into the grooves of a `drum or second transfer means 17 rotating counterclockwise in the direction of the arrow 17'. Suction ducts 17a open into the grooves of the drum or second transfer means 17 which ductsare in communication with a stationary suction duct 18 as long as they remain in the rangeof this connecting duct 1S which is connected with the suction pipe 18a and terminates short of the place M1.

Wihen the mouthpiece has been carried to this place M1, it will be deposited into the space .provided .between the two axially aligned cigarettes on the drum or second rotary transport means 13'. This depositing operation 3 may be facilitated in that at the place M1 the suction duct a' pertaining to the respective groove is brought into communication with a compressed air pipe so that the mouthpiece portion in lquestion is moved by pressure into the space between the ends of the cigarettes.

When the 'drum or second rotary transport means 13 rotates and moves the cigarette mouthpiece assemblage from the place M1 to the place M2, the connecting band is Wrapped around the mouthpiece and the adjoining end portions of the cigarettes by means of folding devices 2l. This wrapping operation is a known procedure shown and described in an application Serial No. 338,360 to Schubert, now United States Patentk 2,714,384, also assigned tothe assignee of the present invention and does not constitute a part of this invention, and, therefore, is not described in detail. To understand the functioning of the machine, it may be stated, however, that the folding members as indicated by dotted linesare controlled by stationary cams 21a and 2lb in such a manner that their pivotable free ends are successively moved over the place of joining and thus cause the connecting band to he wrapped around the cigarettes and the mouthpiece portion therebetween.

At the place M2 there is provided a rotating cutting knife 22 which severs the mouthpiece portion substantially midway of its length so that two completed cigarettes each provided with a mouthpiece are formed which by means of a chute 23 are deposited onto a conveyor belt 24 after the suction ducts 13a have left the suction channel 14. Traveling on this belt, the finished mouthpiece cigarettes are then carried to a collecting magazine not shown.

The described machine may be driven, for instance, in the following way. The driving motor 25 over a chain or belt drive 27 rotates the drum or secondary rotary transport means 13; over a drive 28 puts the suction cylinder 10 in motion; and over a drive 28a moves the conveyor belt 24. Mounted on the shaft of the drum or rotary transport means 6 is a -gear 29 which on the one hand is in engagement with a gear 30 carried by the shaft of the suction drum or transfer means 2 and on the other hand with a gear 31 mounted on the shaft of the drum 13. Said gear 31 in turn is engaged by a gear 32 mounted on the shaft of the suction drum or second transfer means 17.

In the shown embodiment of the invention the connecting band 9a together with two axially spaced and axially aligned cigarettes adhering thereon is delivered to the drum or second rotary transport means 13 at the place Z3 in suoh a way that the connecting band comes to lie at against the circumference of the drum. However, there may also be provided grooves on the peripheral surface of the drum 13 for receiving the connecting bands 9a, so that when deposited into these Igrooves, the connecting band already embraces the end portions of the two cigarettes approximately half-way around their circumference.

A particular advantage of the aforedesoribed machine in comparison with the known machine mentioned in the introduction of this specification consists lin the following:

In the known machine the cigarettes and the mouthpiece have to be carried for a long distance without being retained by the connecting band. The danger then exists that cigarettes and mouthpiece come in mutual misalignment so that for instance their axes do not coincide anymore. In the present invention, however, the end portions of the cigarettes immediately at the beginning of the conveying operation become immovably retained and during their further travel an axial displacement as well as radial misalignment of the cigarettes are avoided by theV connecting band adhesively aflixed to them. As soon as the filter pieces have been inserted into the spaces between the ends of the cigarettes facing each yother the connecting band is completely Wrapped around the place of `joining so that any risk of dislocation of the cigarette 4 ends and the mouthpiece, respectively, is practically eliminated.

A further advantage of the machine according to the invention will be evident when considering that in actual practice it is unavoidable that the lengthwise dimensions of the cigarettes and the double-filter mouthpiece vary more or less. If in the known machine for example in case of a minus-difference, i.e., in a deficiency of length, of the three involved parts in comparison-to their actually required length these parts are moved together then a loose cigarette-filter rod is produced when `the connecting band is wrapped around the two places. of joining. In the opposite case, Le., when the cigarettes and the double-filter piece show greater lengths than normally required, the cigarettes are excessively lengthwise compressed, which is alsotnot desired. ,j

In the machine according to the invention, however, the cigarette rods are iirst pushed against the collar 2a which always is of equal invariable length, and afterwards only the filter mouthpiece portions are inserted between the cigarettes so that any varying lengths of the cigarettes and mouthpieces cannot exert a compounding eect. Any dilferences in length of the filter mouthpiece portions may suitably be corrected according to Figs. 3 and 4 for instance by an arcuate channel 35 which is provided between the drum or second transfer means 17 and the `drum or rotary transport means 13 and at the same time also insures the parallel alignment of the filter mouthpiece portion M. The width 35a of the channel 35 is dimensioned such that the mouthpiece portions M are forcefully moved through this channel, whereby differences in length, which can only be very minute considering the short length of the mouthpiece portions, are compensated by a compressive influence.

The mouthpiece portions M are carried by the suction drum or second transfer means 17, which in this case rotates in the direction of the arrow 17, and are delivered to another suction drum or transfer means 36 which passes the mouthpiece portions through the channel 35 in the direction of the arrow 36'.

By means of this enforced movement through the stationary channel 35 the width of which is adjusted to the shortest length of the mouthpiece portions, the small plus-differences or positive tolerances of the mouthpiecelengths eventually present are eliminated due to the effected compression of said pieces in axial direction.

After the mouthpiece portions M have passed the channel 35 in this manner, they are deposited at M1 on the suction drum 13 and are pushed laterally between the cigarettes Z placed on this drum.

In this manner it is achieved that a lilter mouthpiece portion of always the same length is inserted between two axially aligned cigarettes spaced apart by an equal distance. Consequently, the cirgarettes always are of uniformly firm structure.

An essential advantage of the invention finally consists in that the cigarettes together with the connecting hand can be deposited in deeper grooves of the drum or rotary transport means 13 in order to receive the iilter piece than this has been possible with the known method. Thereby it is achieved that a lateral displacement of the double-lilter from the axis of the cigarette is avoided and the finished cigarettes do not show any air space at the side of the cigarette between lilter piece and connecting band.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the invention is not limited to the details of the foregoing example.

What I claim is:

l. In a machine 'for manufacturing filter tip mouthpiece cigarettes comprising, a pair of magazines arranged in spaced apart side by side relation adapted to feed cigarettes, said magazines being spaced a distance equal to the length of a double length'iilter mouthpiece unit, means 91.1 .Said magazines to discharge cirgarettes in spaced axial alignment, a transfer means arranged to receive cigarettes from said magazine, rotary transport means for receiving spaced sets of cigarettes from said transfer means in axial alignment and conveying the cigarettes along an arcuate pathway, means below said rotary transport means for attaching adhesively coated connecting bands to the adjacent end portions of each set of axially spaced cigarettes, a second transport means arranged beside said rst mentioned transport means to recive from said iirst mentioned transport means said cigarettes connected by said connecting band in a position such that said connecting bands are innermost and positioned on said second transport means for movement along an arcuate pathway, an additional magazine for feeding double length lter tip mouthpiece units, a second transfer means for receiving said mouthpiece units from said last named magazine and mounted to deposit said mouthpiece units on said second transport means between said cigaretttes as they move along an arcuate pathway, whereby the connecting bands can be wrapped around the assembly with their free edges outermost.

2. A machine for manufacturing filter tip mouthpiece cigarettes comprising, a pair of cigarette magazines arranged in spaced apart side by side relation a distance equal to the length of the double length iilter mouthpiece, means associated with said magazines to discharge cigarettes in spaced axial alignment, a rotary transfer drum arranged to receive cigarettes from said magazines, a rotary transport means for receiving cigarettes from said transfer drum and conveying the cigarettes discharged from said magazine, means below said transport means for attaching adhesively coated connecting bands to the adjacent end portions of each two axially spaced cigarettes on said rotary transport means, a second rotary transport means arranged to receive from said rst men- -tioned rotary transport means the connecting bands and cigarettes so that `the connecting band is between the cigarettes and the second rotary transport means, and additional magazine positioned above said second rotary transport means for feeding double length filter tip mouthpiece units, a second transfer means for receiving said mouthpiece units from said last named magazine and mounted to deposit said mouthpiece units on said second transport means between each two cigarettes so that said filter unit will engage said connecting band, means for wrapping the free ends of said connecting bands around the cigarettes and lilter mouthpiece portions arranged therebetween, and rotary cutting means presented to said second rotary transfer means for dividing said wrapped cigarette and mouthpiece assemblies by cutting through the lter mouthpiece unit to form two complete filter mouthpiece cigarettes from each assembly.

3. In a machine for manufacturing filter tip mouthpiece cigarettes, comprising a pair of magazines arranged in spaced apart side by side relation adapted to feed cigarettes, said magazines being spaced a distance equal to the length of a double filter mouthpiece unit, means associated with each magazine to discharge pairs of cigarettes in spaced axial alignment, rotary transport means beneath said magazines for receiving said spaced pairs of cigarettes in axial alignment and conveying the cigarettes along an arcuate pathway, means spaced from said magazines along said arcuate pathway for atiixing adhesively coated connecting bands to the adjacent end portions of each set and pair of axially spaced cigarettes, a second transport means arranged adjacent said first transport means to receive from said rst mentioned transport means the connecting bands and pairs of spaced cigarettes and convey them along a second arcuate pathway |with the connecting bands between the second transport means and pairs of cigarettes, an additional magazine arranged above said second transport means for feeding double length lter mouthpiece units, a second transfer means for receiving said mouthpiece units from said last named magazine and mounted to deposit said mouthpiece units on said second transport means between the ends of the pairs of cigarettes and deposit said iilter units on the adhesively coated connecting bands carried by said second transport means, and means for wrapping the free ends of said connecting bands around the adjacent ends of said cigarette pairs during their travel around a portion of said second arcuate pathway.

4. In a machine for manufacturing ilter tip mouthpiece cigarettes, comprising a pair of magazines arranged in spaced apart side by side relation adapted to feed cigarettes, said magazines being spaced a distance equal to the length of a double iilter mouthpiece unit, rst means associated with said magazines to discharge and feed cigarettes in spaced axial alignment, a rotary drum describing a rst arcuate pathway having axial grooves for receiving the axially aligned cirgarette pairs from said first means and disposed below said first means for feeding said cigarettes along said first pathway, a central collar on said drum adapted to abut the inner ends of the axially aligned cigarettes, second means positioned along said pathway for axing adhesively coated flat connecting bands to each pair of axially aligned cigarettes, a second rotary drum describing a second arcuate pathway and arranged adjacent the first drum and intersecting said first pathway at a rst point beyond said second means for receiving the flat connecting bands and the cigarette pairs adhering thereto, an additional magazine mounted above said second rotary drum, mouthpiece feeding means associated with said last named magazine and intersecting said second arcuate pathway beyond said first point for feeding iilter units into the space between the axially aligned cigarette pairs on said second drum, whereby iilter units are deposited on said connecting band with the connecting band between the second rotary drum and the cigarettes and mouthpiece unit and means on said second drum for folding the connecting bands around the cigarettes an mouthpiece unit to form an assembly during a portion of their travel on said second drum beyond the position of the mouthpiece feeding means.

5. A machine according to claim 4 in which said rst means for receiving and conveying the axially aligned cigarettes includes a rotary suction drum having axial grooves, each of which is adapted to receive two axially yspaced cigarettes from said magazines and transfer said cigarettes to axial grooves in said rotary drum, said connecting band airixing means including another suction drum for transfering an adhesively coated connecting band to the outer circumferential portion of each pair of axially spaced cigarettes as they travel around said rotary drum beneath the cigarette feeding magazines, and means for dividing said cigarette and mouthpiece assemblies after they have been folded on said second rotary drum.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,166,486 Edwards July 18, 1939 2,188,998 Edwards Feb. 6, 1940 2,194,378 Bernd Mar. 19, 1940 2,649,761 Edwards Aug. 25, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 687,878 Great Britain Feb. 25, 1953 

